


An Arsonist's Lullaby

by supercasey



Series: Team Fortress Kid!Scout AU [4]
Category: Team Fortress 2
Genre: Adopted Sibling Relationship, Adoption, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Kids, Brother Feels, Brother-Brother Relationship, Brother-Sister Relationships, Child Abandonment, Childhood Trauma, Comfort Reading, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Family Separation, Father-Son Relationship, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Child Neglect, Kid!Scout AU, Lullabies, Movie Night, Nightmares, Parent-Child Relationship, Pillow & Blanket Forts, Protective Siblings, Sibling Bonding, Singing, Sleepovers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-04
Updated: 2020-06-04
Packaged: 2021-03-03 22:48:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,092
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24533320
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/supercasey/pseuds/supercasey
Summary: TF2 Kid!Scout AU. Prompt fill for Tumblr. Bonito is well versed in nightmares, having had them since they were a toddler, but they’ve begun to wane ever since they ran away with Mundy and John. Unfortunately for them, their nightmares aren’t gone quite yet, as a particularly nasty one wakes them in the dead of night, leaving them shivering and scared. Cue Engineer being a good dad, Mundy being a good brother, and Bonnie getting the love they deserve.
Relationships: Demoman & Soldier (Team Fortress 2), Engineer & Pyro (Team Fortress 2), Engineer & Sniper (Team Fortress 2), Engineer/Innovator (Team Fortress 2), Miss Pauling & Scout (Team Fortress 2), Pyro & Sniper (Team Fortress 2), RED Engineer/Original Character(s), Scout & Spy (Team Fortress 2)
Series: Team Fortress Kid!Scout AU [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1717243
Comments: 12
Kudos: 27





	An Arsonist's Lullaby

**Author's Note:**

> I know I really oughta work on the next chapter of DTCACR, but this prompt was literally too good to ignore. Sorry it’s a bit late though, mysterious Anon; I promise I didn’t forget, I just got caught up in working on other stuff. Hopefully it was worth the wait!
> 
> [Prompt on Tumblr: I was wondering if you could write something about one of the tf2 kids getting a nightmare and asking one of the Mercs if they could sleep with them. I love the work you do and just wanted to say that you make my day better.]

There’s a low scuffling sound emitting from the kitchen, but Bonito pays it little mind, content to stay where they are and leave snack duty to Mundy and John. It’s around seven at night, and seeing as the kids didn’t do anything reckless/break anything while the mercenaries went out for their daily battle, they’ve allowed the kids to have a sort of “sleepover” in the living room and watch movies/play games until midnight. This is of course amazing news for the pack of children, especially since the Administrator is letting Miss Pauling stay overnight for the sleepover, too! Right now, they’ve got a rather impressive pillow fort set up in the living room, made out of an old tent, several blankets and pillows, and a bunch of stuffed animals. Bonito has made themselves a sort of nest at the back of the fort, tucked in with a fluffy blanket and their Balloonicorn, while Scout and Miss Pauling are on their hands and knees in front of the TV, bickering over what movie they should put on. Suddenly, there’s more of a commotion from the kitchen, and after a few bangs and shouts, out comes a frazzled looking Mundy, a large amount of soot now covering his clothes, with John right on his heels, the younger boy coated in even  _ more  _ soot, and holding a ginormous bowl of popcorn over his head, an all too proud grin on his youthful face.

“I have made the popcorn!” John screams, so loud that both Scout and Miss Pauling jolt, having been too distracted by their argument to pay attention until someone shouted.

“Ya made a mess is whatcha did, ya fuckin’ drongo,” Mundy mutters, looking just about ready to slug John or pass out… possibly both, it depends on how tired he is. “I told ya ta put a bloody lid on it, ‘n ya damn near flooded the kitchen with popcorn! Now we’ve got way too much ‘a it,” The Australian then sighs, shaking his head in defeat, as he doubts John is going to take him seriously. “Ugh, why am I even botherin’… Johnny, how ‘bout you help the ankle biters find a good film, alroight? I need ta put on somethin’ that ain’t covered in rubbish.”

“Very well, Private Mundy!” John chirps, running to sit between Scout and Miss Pauling on the floor, where he quickly begins to search the pile of movies for something he’d like. “Wait a moment… these are all  _ children’s  _ movies!” He shouts, horrified by the very thought. “Why on  _ earth  _ have we been given such an infantile selection of cinema!? This must be a mistake;  _ surely  _ there must be something more appropriate!” He looks to a nearby shelf of movies that’s gone completely untouched, smirking when he reads the titles on them. “Now those look  _ much  _ better! How about one of those films, soldiers?”

Scout and Miss Pauling exchange a look, before shaking their heads in unison at John, the former showing mercy by offering up an explanation to the older youth. “Papa says those ‘re for him ‘n the other grown ups,” Scout states, though there is a look of longing in his eyes, the boy wanting to look and see what’s forbidden. “He says we’re too young ta watch ‘em.”

“Yeah,” Miss Pauling agrees, trying to help John understand the severity of watching such an inappropriate film. “Mother says I already see enough violence, and that _ ‘half-assed, lazy attempts at being scary’  _ are just a waste of my time,” When she receives a wide-eyed look from Scout after cursing, the girl shrugs, unbothered by it. “What? I’m just tellin’ him exactly what Mother said.”

John scoffs outright, ignoring the cursing entirely. “That’s quitter’s talk!” He says, handing one of the boxed films he’s found over to the younger kids for them to look at. “How about  _ Battle of the Bulge?  _ This looks  _ much  _ better than your  _ Mary Poppins _ and  _ Dumbo  _ nonsense!”

Thankfully Mundy comes in just in time to overhear the conversation, the pajama clad Australian sprinting to grab the movie from Scout, holding it over his head so no one but Bonito has any hope of reaching it. “Aw  _ hell  _ no, you lil’ ankle biters ain’t watchin’  _ this  _ shite!” Mundy exclaims, equal parts exasperated as he is concerned. “It’s off limits for a bloody  _ reason; _ none ‘a you need anymore nightmare fuel.”

“Aww,” Scout whines, frustrated that he can’t get away with something even when his father isn’t around to monitor him. “But John says it’s even better than _ Dumbo! _ Don’t ya wanna see what makes it better than all these dumb lil’ kids movies, Mundy?” He asks this as if he doesn’t like such movies, likely just to prove that he’s a  _ ‘big kid’  _ to the other children, something he’s all too accustomed to back home with his brothers.

“No,” Mundy deadpans, refusing to budge on the matter. “We don’t even got any bad films to pick from ‘ere… come on, Roo, lemme find somethin’ a little less horrifyin’ for us ta watch. I  _ promise  _ you’ll like it!”

“You’re no fun,” Scout grumbles, crossing his arms and pouting. However, his eyes soon lock with John’s, the older boy grinning at him, raising his helmet to throw in a wink for good measure. Scout, well accustomed to what this look means from his big brothers, covers his newfound smile with his hands, doing his best to stifle his giggling. “I mean… yeah, Mundy, we can watch a lil’ kid movie!”

“Thata boy, mate,” Mundy praises, pausing his search to ruffle Scout’s unruly hair. After a minute or so of browsing, he picks up one of the movies Miss Pauling was arguing for, a smirk overtaking his face. “Here, this’ll do,” He says, choosing  _ Jungle Book _ from the collection. Once he’s popped it into the VHS, he comes and lays down with Bonito in their nest, laying his head on the selectivelymute’s shoulder as he picks up one of the nearby stuffed animals to cuddle with. “Don’t worry, Bon, I chose a nice one for ya… no need ta start havin’ nightmares again, roight?” Mundy whispers, tone warm but exhausted; he’ll probably clock out pretty quick here.

Bonito nods in agreement, relieved to have Mundy not only looking out for them, but cuddling with them in their little hideaway. In the meantime, Scout and Miss Pauling lay on their stomachs in front of the TV, watching the screen with growing interest as the movie begins. Strangely enough, John doesn’t lay down as well, remaining upright as he stands by the forbidden movie collection, which sets off more than a few red flags for Bonito, but as they aren’t one for intervening until something goes wrong, they stay where they are, content to keep cuddling Mundy. As expected, before the first song can even start, Mundy is out like a light, his snores soft in tone with his head sinking to rest on the older child’s lap, his mouth slightly ajar. Bonito does him a favor and gently closes it for him, all while drawing a nearby blanket over Mundy’s shoulders, tucking it in for good measure. It’s not often that the mute gets to see their friend relax, as the Australian is almost always on guard, ready for when something goes wrong, which makes these quiet moments all the more wonderful. Bonito smiles, absentmindedly combing their fingers through Mundy’s hair; the boy’s in dire need of a hairbrush. The teen chuckles at this, aware that their friend would throw a fit if someone tried to comb his hair properly, on the grounds that he “likes it just the way it is”!

As Bonito’s fingers are finally beginning to untangle some of the worst knots in Mundy’s hair, the movie is abruptly paused, causing them to flinch. “Hey, what’s the big deal!?” Miss Pauling snaps, glaring at the culprit, who is revealed to be John. “If you wanted to go pee, you should’ve said somethin’ instead of turnin’ it off; I really like this song, John!”

“I have no need nor desire to urinate,” John explains, a devilish grin on his face. “On the contrary, it’s about time we switch to something a little more  _ ‘educational’. _ Wouldn’t you agree, Private Scout?”

“Way ahead ‘a ya, dude!” Scout chirps, pulling the banned movie from earlier out of his pajama pants, having hidden the cassette there so Mundy wouldn’t find it again. “Here ya go; I hope it’s as awesome as ya said it is!”

“Of course it will be; this is a  _ war movie, _ for crying out loud!” John says, already removing  _ Jungle Book _ from the VCR, ready to replace it with  _ Battle of the Bulge. _

However, Bonito makes their annoyance known, though they can’t make themselves all that verbal. “Hmph!” They huff, making sure that they’re loud enough to be heard, even if it scares them a little.

John pauses, eyes wide as he looks towards Bonito. “What’s the problem, Private Bonito? Don’t tell me you actually  _ want  _ to watch a little baby movie!”

Bonnie rolls their eyes, crossing their arms and shaking their head with another huff. “Mhm, mm.” They mumble, praying internally that John will just let them win this time.

“Hm… a valid argument, so I am inclined to put it to a vote. All in favor of watching a war movie that will no doubt educate us in the art of patriotic murder, while simultaneously making us very mature and manly, raise your hand,” John orders, his and Scout’s hands shooting up immediately. A few seconds pass before they lower them, the older of the duo continuing the vote. “Very good. Now, all in favor of watching a little kids movie for bottle-sucking babies, raise your hand.” Bonito and Miss Pauling both raise their hands, much to the two boys’ shock.

_ “Emily!? _ How  _ could  _ you?” Scout asks, horrified as he stares at Miss Pauling. “Why would ya wanna watch a lil’ kids movie!? They  _ suck!” _

“No they  _ don’t!” _ Miss Pauling argues, glaring at Scout for yelling at her. “And I only wanna watch  _ Jungle Book _ so we don’t get in trouble, dummy! What if your dad or my mother walks in, huh? We’ll be in  _ so much _ trouble!”

“Nuh uh!” Scout counters, just as angry as his best friend. “We ain’t gonna  _ get  _ in trouble ‘cus Papa’s already in his smokin’ room, ‘n he went in at six-thirty, which means he ain’t gonna come out ‘til ten, ‘n since it’s seven-thirty, we’ve got enough time to watch the movie ‘fore Papa comes to say goodnight to me! We’ve got enough time, Em.”

Miss Pauling sits on that for a few seconds, expression simultaneously impressed and confused as all hell as she levels it at Scout. “Okay, so if you were able to figure all that out… how did you almost fail math?”

Scout scoffs outright, surprised that Miss Pauling even asked. “Because this is  _ important!” _ He says.

“It seems we’ve reached an impasse,” John comments, ignoring Scout and Miss Pauling’s conversation altogether, eyes glued to Bonito’s face, as if staring alone will change the oldest youth’s mind. “Therefore, I am forced to go with what the commanding officer has chosen, and seeing as I am the highest ranking officer in this room, I choose the war movie!”

Bonnie turns to scowling at John outright, and wordlessly, they make a move to stand up, only to stop when Mundy mumbles incoherently in their lap, roused by the movement. Hurriedly, the teen sits back down, petting the boy’s hair until he stops fussing.

John smirks, having found a weak point in Bonnie’s defense.  _ “Aha! _ It seems you are incapacitated, Private Bonito. Therefore, I will be receiving  _ no  _ opposition, yes?” He turns to Miss Pauling, checking to make sure the little girl won’t argue with him.

“I don’t wanna get in trouble, but…” Miss Pauling glances between John and Scout, her eyes full of uncertainty, but in the end she surrenders. “I don’t wanna be a baby either; you guys win. But if Mother catches us, I’m tellin’ her it was Johnny’s idea!”

“I agree to the terms,” John says, shaking hands with Miss Pauling to cement the deal. With that out of the way, he finishes readying the movie, plopping down near Bonito and Mundy as the film starts. “There’s no need to worry, Private Bonito. You’ll see that this movie was a wonderful choice!” He whispers, though seeing as he yells most everything, it’s more like he says it at a normal volume.

Bonito growls, tempted to kick John in the back of the head as recompense, but as they don’t want to wake Mundy up, they force themselves not to. The movie begins on a battlefield, a lone car driving across it, and  _ already  _ the mute is uneasy, terrified of whatever carnage is to likely come of this. They sincerely hope it won’t be  _ too  _ violent of a movie, but… well, like Mundy said, it’s probably off-limits for a reason. Speaking of him, the Australian is still out cold, sleeping through the act of disobedience, something Bonnie is grateful for, even if it means they won’t have his support in arguing with John and the others. It would probably be smarter to just wake Mundy up and make him take charge, as Scout  _ always  _ listens to him, and the older boy is more than able to take control away from John, but Bonnie won’t go to such lengths, not when their best friend is so behind on sleep. Ever since he visited Medic for a new pair of glasses, Mundy has been struggling with nightmares, most of which consist of the mercenaries turning on him and his siblings. The nightmares are only getting worse, and as a result, he’s been avoiding sleep, much to Bonnie’s frustration. As a result, the mute will do just about  _ anything  _ to make sure the Australian gets some sleep… even if it means traumatizing themselves.

It’s a good hour before the violence breaks out, enough time passing that the younger kids are starting to fall asleep, and Bonito thinks they’re in the clear, but just as their own eyes are drooping, an ear-splitting  _ “BOOM” _ fills the air, the sound emitting from the television. Everyone, even John, jumps at the sound, Miss Pauling yelping and hiding her face in Scout’s shoulder, though she won’t get much help from him, as he seems just as frightened as her, so scared he’s frozen in place. Bonnie covers their eyes, but despite the fear coiling in their stomach, they peek from between their fingers, regretting it almost immediately. There are several soldiers on-screen, covered in fake blood and guts, but for an emotionally traumatized thirteen year old, it all looks very,  _ very  _ real. Even  _ John  _ seems skittish as the battle on TV continues, squirming in place and not so inconspicuously hiding his face underneath his helmet. More explosions on-screen follow, and at a particularly big one, the silence between the children breaks, and in an instant, it’s chaos. It starts with Scout screeching, jumping to his feet in order to run, only to fall on his backside as a soldier blows up on-screen. Miss Pauling shouts in turn, running and hiding beneath the nearest blanket for cover, making sure to grab Scout’s hand and drag the boy to follow her, the duo shaking from beneath their makeshift hiding spot. John just  _ stares, _ too shell shocked to move, up until the men on TV scream, prompting him to do the same.

To Bonito’s relief, everyone’s screaming attracts some much needed help, both Demoman and Spy running into the room. “Ze hell is going on in here!?” Spy asks, out of breath from having ran to see what was happening.

As a blanket fort covers the group, Demoman takes initiative and pulls some of the sheets down, peeking inside to check on the kids, his single eye widening when he sees what’s on-screen. “Bloody hell, you kids ‘re watchin’ a blood bath!” He exclaims, rushing to turn the TV off and end the traumatizing movie, though he trips on the blanket fort, collapsing right on top of Scout and Miss Pauling, who screech at the contact.

“It’s real, it’s  _ real!” _ Scout yells, scrambling to get out from under the blanket, though it’s hard when he can hardly see through his tears. “Papa, help! I’m gettin’  _ squished!” _

“Get off of mon fils, you idiot!” Spy snaps, but he thankfully doesn’t hurt Demoman. Instead, he catches hold of one of the kids’ feet from under the blanket, pulling out Miss Pauling first, then Scout a moment later.

In the meantime, Demoman makes it up onto his knees, scrambling to turn off the TV, the screen turning black and sizzling as the source of the horror finally dies. “Christ… alrighty, lads, it’s over!” He says, making an effort to not shout or sound angry. “Come on out, ya lil’ shits, no need ta hide no more; Uncle Demo’s saved ya!”

“You damn near crushed my child,” Spy corrects, rolling his eyes at Demoman. He scoops his son up rather quickly, allowing Scout to just cry into his shoulder as he looks around, searching for someone a little more coherent. “Bushboy? Mundy? Where are you?”

Bonito comes squirming out from a mountain of blankets and pillows, as Demoman’s fall caused an avalanche to fall on top of them. Mundy follows closely behind, though he appears to be in a sleepy haze, confused as to what exactly he’s woken up to. “Ugh… what da hell happened?” Mundy asks, voice groggy from a lack of use.

“Zat is what  _ I  _ would like to know,” Spy says, glancing down at Miss Pauling, who has begun to stifle the last of her sobs. “Emily darling, would you please tell me what happened here?” He asks, tone soft and welcoming.

Miss Pauling gives a shaky nod, struggling to gather herself. “Y-Yeah… please don’t be m-mad though!” She begs, eyes pleading as she stares up at Spy, fresh tears trailing down her face as she continues to speak. “If I get in t-trouble, I dunno if Mother will lemme play with Jeremy anymore!”

“I assure you zat shall  _ not  _ happen, petit ange,” Spy promises, kneeling down to be at Miss Pauling’s level, Scout still held in his arms, though he maneuvers the boy to scoot over, giving him an arm to hold out to Miss Pauling. “Come here, petit, it will be alright now.”

Miss Pauling launches herself at Spy, clinging to him with the same desperation as Scout is doing. After a few more minutes of crying, she pulls back a fraction, rubbing at her eyes as she recovers from the breakdown. “Okay, so…” She glances expectantly at Spy’s eyes, waiting to be reprimanded, but when he simply smiles softly at her, the girl is inclined to keep going. “We were, um, pickin’ out a movie, and… and Johnny said they were all for lil’ kids, so he picked out a different one that he said was gonna be better. I told ‘im not to, but he wouldn’t listen!”

“I see,” Spy says, looking tempted to scowl at John, but as the boy has run into the kitchen and is stuck on top of the fridge, Demoman in the process of trying to talk him into coming down… “It seems justice has indirectly been served, so zere is no need for furzer reprimanding. You all understand zat watching inappropriate movies is not a good idea, non?” After receiving nods from everyone but Mundy, the Frenchman is satisfied. “Very good. Now come along, you two, and let’s get you to bed.” Spy offers, standing up with both Miss Pauling and Scout in tow.

“Wait, we were watchin’ a banned movie? No, we were watchin’ Jungle Book, roight?” Mundy is still confused, stumbling to his feet, nearly tripping as he tries to right himself.

“Did you fall asleep during ze movie?” Spy asks, and after Mundy hesitantly nods, he gives a tired sigh. “It seems young Johnazan took advantage of zis and switched ze movies while you were unable to stop him.”

It takes a few minutes to click together for Mundy, but once it does, the Australian scowls with frustration, though Bonnie knows John isn’t the source of his anger. “Fuckin’ dammit,” Mundy mutters, his hands closed in trembling fists at his sides, the preteen shaking with barely repressed fury. “I  _ knew  _ I shoulda drank some ‘a the Engineer’s coffee dis mornin’.”

“You shall drink no such zing,” Spy says, though he appears sympathetic to Mundy’s plight. “Do not blame yourself, bushboy; zere is nozing you could have done to stop him. Consider yourself lucky enough zat you did not have to see zat terrible movie.”

“But I was supposed ta be watchin’ ‘em!” Mundy counters, not backing down. “If I wasn’t such a damn  _ bludger,  _ then-”

Before Spy can even open his mouth, Bonito finally gets to their feet and just hugs Mundy, cutting the boy off mid-sentence. The preteen struggles a fraction, wanting to keep scolding himself, but ultimately he relaxes his shoulders and takes a few long, deep breaths.

After a few seconds of this, Demoman returns from the kitchen, an unconscious John in his arms. “Had ta wait fer ‘im ta pass out,” Demo explains, before glancing around the room, surprised by the state of things. “Um… what jus’ happened?” He asks, wanting clarification.

“Nozing,” Spy says, eyes still fixated on the pair of adoptive siblings in front of him. He sighs, tone matching Mundy’s, though his is much more aged; Bonnie really hopes their friend doesn’t end up as tired and sad as Spy is when he grows up. “You should both go to bed… don’t worry, zere shall be no punishment tomorrow morning for what happened here tonight. Go on, you two… and please, get some good sleep; you both need it.” With that, Spy takes Scout and Miss Pauling- who are both beginning to nod off- back towards Scout’s room, likely intending on letting the kids share a bed for the night.

After Spy has left, Demoman not far behind him with John slung over his shoulder, Mundy and Bonito share a look, the former’s eyes full of unwarranted guilt. “Bon… I’m  _ real  _ sorry for sackin’ out on ya. Think ya can forgive me, mate? I promise it won’t happen again, buddy, I just-”

Bonito smiles, and before Mundy can get another word out, they pull him into a tight, loving embrace.

A bit reluctantly, Mundy smiles too, his own worn out and resigned. “Such a softie… come on, mate, let’s get ta bed, yeah? Reckon we’ll have ta clean dis mess up tomorrow mornin’, ‘n you don’t need to be losin’ any sleep.”

Bonito simply nods, and after collecting their Balloonicorn from the destroyed blanket fort, they follow after Mundy, holding hands with him the entire way back to their room.

* * *

_ Bonnie smiles at the matches in their hands, eager to get started, now that they’ve finally got some time to themselves. They’re in a large, otherwise empty field, the only thing keeping them company being tall stocks of wheat, and the occasional grasshopper that keeps bouncing over their head. Sitting cross-legged among the tall strands of grass, Bonito rips open the box of matches they managed to steal a few days ago, frantically grabbing one and lighting it in a frenzy, their shoulders going slack the second the tiny stick is lit, the warmth making them feel at ease. It’s been a few weeks since they’ve had the chance to play with matches, seeing as their foster family keeps them locked up, but now that they have a whole box to themselves and a free afternoon, they hope to spend as much time as they can playing with them. Bonito simply let’s the first match burn out, forced to throw it down and stomp on it after it nearly burns their fingers; not that they haven’t been burnt before, but they want to keep from needing a first-aid kit for as long as possible today. With the first match put out, Bonnie digs into their backpack for something better to burn, pulling out a few failed homework assignments and bad report cards that their foster siblings gave them. The deal they all have is simple; don’t tell the folks about stolen matches, and Bonnie will make all their mistakes disappear within an afternoon. Smiling, Bonnie lays the stack of papers down on the ground in front of them, and after lighting another match, they toss it on top of the pile. _

_ They’re almost immediately rewarded with a short, roaring fire, the dryness of the air adding to the inferno. However, things quickly take a turn for the worst. Yes, the large wheat fields near the house are GREAT for when Bonnie wants to hide away from their foster family, but they never put in the forethought that maybe, just MAYBE, starting a fire in a field of dry grass was a bad idea. Before Bonnie’s very eyes, the stack of papers evolve into a bigger and bigger ball of flames, so big that the eleven year old is forced to grab their school bag and unicorn stuffie before running for it, thankfully able to outrun the inferno. Once out of the field, Bonito turns around to look, their eyes wide with shock and… to be honest, a small bit of pride. And they thought setting the bathroom on fire in elementary school was the biggest fire they ever made! The wheat field has now been completely absorbed by the fire, with huge, bellowing grey clouds of smoke filling the sky overhead, and in the distance, Bonnie can hear police sirens. This isn’t how they imagined their day going, but to hell with it, they were planning on running away soon anyways; may as well go out with a bang this time. Although they feel bad for the animals in the area, Bonnie tries not to think about them as they readjust their backpack, hug their stuffie, and run towards the horizon, ready to start a new life someplace else. _

_ But… something in the memory shifts gears. This is usually the part where Bonito wakes up, overjoyed to have such a wonderful memory be one of their dreams, but before the child’s very eyes, it all changes. Suddenly they’re not eleven anymore, they’re thirteen, and the fire is coming closer and closer, going at an unnatural speed towards them. But HOW!? Fire is Bonnie’s friend, always has been; how could it turn on them like this? Confused, but knowing better than to stay put, the teen runs for their life, watching as familiar people all around them also run from the flames, only to fall and become swallowed in it’s unyielding embrace. Bonito cries at the loss of their friends and family, but they can’t slow down, too scared of suffering the same fate. Not that it matters, as before long, they reach what looks to be a huge cliff, forcing them to stop in their tracks at the edge of it. As they turn around to check on the fire, they’re shocked to see a huge army emerging from the flames, running at Bonnie and screaming out war cries. Is the army trying to kill them? What did they do WRONG? Afraid, they back away, only to lose their footing, and as their body becomes littered with bullets that don’t cause any pain, they fall backwards into a huge, freezing ocean, without so much as the warmth of an ember to keep their blood from turning to ice. As they die, Bonnie holds their hands up, begging silently for help, but it never comes. _

_ Without a word, they drown, betrayed by what they loved most. _

* * *

It’s not often that the base is quiet, seeing as four children- technically _ five,  _ but Miss Pauling doesn’t actually live here- now more or less have the run of the place, so Engineer is more than a little relieved that it’s damn near silent at two in the morning. He’s spent most of the evening after today’s mission in his workshop, but as the night has worn on, he’s become increasingly aware that he needs a break. After making sure to shut off everything properly and lock up his equipment, Engineer leaves his workshop in search of something to eat, making a beeline for the kitchen. Once he enters the living room though, instead of finding the little ones sprawled out all over the place and asleep during their sleepover, the southerner is shocked to find a more or less abandoned pillow fort- at least, it looks like one, even if it  _ is  _ mostly destroyed- in the middle of the room, with popcorn scattered all over the place. Engineer sighs at the sight, but he can’t help but smile, remembering all the times he and June would build blanket forts with their kids and watch movies late into the night together. Pushing that thought aside, the man checks under a few of the blankets, wanting to see if any of the kids are here, but they’re nowhere to be found. Did they get tired and go to their rooms for the night? That would be rather strange, considering how excited they all were to have a sleepover together.

Shrugging, Engineer continues to the kitchen, digging some leftover pasta out of the fridge to heat up for his dinner. He knows he could’ve had it warm earlier, but he gets so distracted by his work these days, it’s hard for him to remember to take breaks and eat while working on his machines. Again, he finds his mind wandering to thoughts of his wife June, who has been known to do the same thing as him, so much so that their kids used to have to come into the workshop and beg their parents to take a break and play with them. The thought makes Engineer chuckle, but his eyes grow wet, his homesickness only growing. Stubbornly, he rubs away his tears, ordering himself not to break down over something that needs to be done. With the money he’s making from this job, he’ll be able to put  _ all  _ his kids through college, not to mention, he’ll be able to buy a bigger house for his family when he gets home. While sidetracked, Engineer hears the microwave go off, causing him to flinch, before he rights himself, quick to retrieve the bowl and eat his dinner in silence over the kitchen sink, occasionally pausing to salt and stir it. After finishing his meal, Engineer washes out the bowl, leaving it in the sink to scrub tomorrow morning. He glances at the clock, realizing that it’s nearly two-thirty. Dear god, he needs to get to bed, or else he won’t have any energy for tomorrow!

Just as Engineer is heading for the doorway, he hears scuffling from the living room. Curious, he pokes his head inside, eyes widening beneath his goggles when he sees Bonito. “Bonnie? What’re you doin’ up, kiddo?” He asks, surprised to see the teen awake at such a late time. Looking closer, he sees that Bonnie is sitting motionless on the floor, eyes unfocused as they clutch as many stuffed animals to their chest as physically possible. “Junior? Can ya hear me any?” The man asks, stepping fully into the living room now, but he keeps his distance in order to not spook the kid.

Bonito gives a short nod, but otherwise they don’t move.

His concern only growing, Engineer makes to step forward, only to backtrack when Bonnie flinches in response. “Hey, it’s okay, sport… do ya know who I am right now?” He questions, beginning to suspect that Bonnie is too disoriented and scared to even recognize him.

Nervously, Bonnie glances at him, before nodding their head in earnest, their shoulders shivering violently with pent-up energy.

“Okay den… I ain’t gonna hurt ya none, Bonnie. I swear my life on it,” Engineer promises, lowering himself to sit on the floor, but he stays where he is, not wanting to spook the child again. A bit frantically, he pulls a notebook and pen out of his toolbelt, sliding the items across the floor toward the teen. “Can ya write any? I know it’s hard, kiddo, but ya gotta lemme know what I can do fer ya here. Do ya want my help? I wanna help ya, but I don’t know how jus’ yet. Ya gotta let me in ‘fore I can fix it.”

After about a minute with no response, Bonito nods, picking up the notebook and pen to jot something down. Once finished, they toss the items to Engineer, the handyman reading over the message as soon as he gets it. “[I had a really bad nightmare, and now I’m too scared to go back to sleep. I dreamed that the world was on fire, and there were soldiers coming after me who shot me a bunch. Everyone died, and I drowned in the ocean. I know it was just a stupid dream, but I feel like it’s not over yet, like if I close my eyes, I’ll wake up back in that horrible place, and it’ll be real. I’m sorry, I don’t want to bother you with this, I was hoping no one else was up to see me acting so freaking dumb.]”

Finally finished reading the letter, Engineer gives Bonnie a loving smile, although the teen isn’t looking at him so they can’t see it, probably afraid of seeing the man upset. “Ya ain’t dumb fer bein’ scared, son… hell, lord knows how many times I’ve woke up screamin’ my freakin’ head off over stuff dat happened decades ago. Everybody has nightmares, sport,” As that message sinks in, Engineer’s eyes land on something behind him, the handyman turning his head to find his guitar a few feet behind him; he must have left it in the kitchen a few days ago. Careful not to do it too fast, he crawls over and grabs it, bringing it with him back to the living room, sitting on the threshold with it in his lap. “Ya know, when my kids wake up from nightmares, dey always tell me dat they like it when I sing fer ‘em. I don’t wanna make ya feel like a lil’ kid none, but if it makes ya feel any better, even  _ August  _ wants me ta sing for ‘im some nights. Would dat help you out any, son? Want me ta sing ya a lil’ lullaby?”

Bonito looks surprised at first, flashing Engineer a nervous glance, before slowly, they nod, eyes glittering with no small amount of hope.

Smiling, Engineer readjusts his guitar, making sure it’s tuned correctly before he gets started with the performance. “Alrighty den, ‘ere goes… hope ya like dis one, it’s Marchie’s favorite!” Slowly he begins strumming on the old, worn out guitar, playing a song he’s repeated countless times since he and June started their family together. “ Somewhere over the rainbow, way up high. And the dreams that you dream of, once in a lullaby,” He sings in a low tone, his voice just loud enough to be heard in the otherwise quiet room. “Oh, somewhere over the rainbow, bluebirds fly. And the dreams that you dream of, dreams really do come true.”

For most of the song, Bonito just stares at Engineer, mouth slightly ajar in complete and utter shock, and offhandedly, the handyman wonders if the kid has been sung this song before, as they seem to feel nostalgia for it. Possibly by their last meaningful caregiver? But didn’t Medic say they’re an  _ orphan? _ No, not quite… they were separated from their folks and older siblings when they were all deported, right? God, Engineer can hardly  _ imagine  _ such a terrible fate, much less such an unloving childhood after they lost their family. No  _ wonder  _ Bonnie tends to act like a little kid most of the time; when they were young, they actually  _ had  _ loving parents, which were unfairly ripped away from them, leaving the small child to grow up lonely and unloved. At least they found Mundy and John in the end, but even then, siblings can only do so much to fill that void. Bonito suddenly gets on their knees, snapping Engineer out of his racing thoughts, though he’s mindful to keep singing, trying not to stare in fear of it scaring the teenager off. Slowly, Bonnie crawls closer to him, until they stop right in front of the inventor, their eyes transfixed on his face, tears trailing down their own. Just for a minute Engineer pauses, reaching forward to rub away the child’s tears, and with a small wink, he finishes the lullaby for them.

“Someday I’ll wish upon a star, wake up where the clouds are far behind me. Where trouble melts like lemon drops, high above the chimney top, that's where you'll find me,” Engineer sings, his own eyes a bit wet when he thinks of the last time he sang this song to one of his kids, but he muscles through the nostalgic pain, not wanting to scare Bonnie off by crying too hard. “Oh, somewhere over the rainbow, way up high. And the dreams that you dare to, oh why, oh why, can't I?”

The  _ minute  _ Engineer stops strumming, he sets his guitar aside, opening his arms to Bonito in a silent offer to hold them. Eagerly, the teen accepts, clambering into the man’s lap like an overexcited dog, though they settle down rather quickly, knees to their chest as they lay their head on Engineer’s shoulder, smiling even as they begin to weep in earnest, gripping the man’s shirt as if their life depends on it. Silently, Engineer rubs Bonnie’s back in comforting circles, knowing that they just need to be held right now, especially after what sounds like a truly traumatizing nightmare. What exactly brought on such an awful dream? Maybe they just had too much caffeine? It probably doesn’t matter; what matters is that this kid gets the comfort they need and deserve. After a few more minutes of cuddling, Engineer stands up, easily able to carry the teenager in his arms, having grown quite strong after having to lug his toolbox around everywhere he goes on the battlefield. At first Bonito seems abrasive to it, squirming around in confusion, but they settle down in good time, looking up at Engineer with such big, glassy eyes… goddamn, how have they not been adopted by now? They’re adorable! His charge settled, Engineer makes sure to grab their beloved stuffed Balloonicorn off the floor before heading down the hall, making his way back to the kid’s room.

However, once they see where they’re being taken, Bonnie objects by pulling on a handful of Engineer’s shirt. “Hm? Somethin’ wrong, junior?” The inventor asks, surprised by the kid’s objection. “Do ya…  _ not  _ wanna sleep in yer room tonight?” He asks, tone somewhat doubtful, as he knows his son August, who’s the same age as Bonnie, would be  _ pissed  _ if his father offered to let him sleep in his and June’s bed after a nightmare.

Bonnie’s mouth forms a grimace, and shyly, they shrug, ashamed to need more comfort.

Luckily for them, Engineer has no reservations about continuing to care for the child in his arms. “Ain’t no shame in needin’ a buddy, Bon… do ya want Mundy ta come with us? I figure he might get spooked if he can’t find ya tomorrow mornin’.” At that thought, the man shivers, remembering how panicked Mundy was a few days ago when he couldn’t find Bonito before bed, the older child having been stuck on the toilet. It took Heavy, Medic,  _ and  _ Engineer reassuring him that Bonnie was okay before Mundy managed to calm down, and even then he cried like a toddler when he saw the other kid again, running and hugging them like they’d disappear before his eyes if he let go.

Bonnie thinks on that for a few seconds, before nodding in agreement. They squirm until Engineer sets them down, and carefully, they walk into their and Mundy’s bedroom, climbing up the bunk-bed’s ladder to reach their best friend, who they shake to wake up.

Mundy stirs in resistance at first, before cracking an eye open. “Why the bloody hell you wakin’ me up?” He asks, groggy and irritated at first, but he softens when he sees who it is. “Bon-Bon? What’s wrong, Roo?” Bonnie makes a few strange hand gestures to the boy, looking to be in some sort of code they’ve made with their partner in crime. “A nightmare? Dammit, I  _ knew  _ dat movie was gonna scare at least one ‘a yas… you need me bed tanight? Not a lot ‘a room, but-” Mundy pauses abruptly, finally noticing Engineer in the doorway. “Um… whatcha doin’ ‘ere so late, mate? Somethin’ wrong?”

“I found Bonnie cryin’ in da livin’ room, so I comforted ‘em ‘til they felt better. They wanna sleep in my room tonight, but I wanted ta make sure you’d be okay first.” Engineer explains, careful not to mention that he checked on Mundy primarily because he panics when Bonito isn’t close to him.

Mundy accepts that well enough, nodding as he sits up, letting out a big, tired yawn as he does do. “Alroight, alroight… guess we’re havin’ a sleepover after all,” He mumbles, sluggishly pulling himself out of bed, Bonnie hopping off the ladder so he can get down. Once off his bed, Mundy stretches, still exhausted by the looks of it. “I swear, this betta be the last time somebody wakes me up tonight, or I’mma lose it ‘n start another world war.” He warns, but he follows Bonnie out of the room despite his fatigue-induced anger, holding the other child’s hand in one of his own.

Engineer smiles at this, his chest warm at the sight of such unfiltered affection between the teens. Silently, he simply waves for them to follow, and with Bonnie and Mundy trailing behind him, he leads the young duo to his bedroom. Engineer knows he has one of the biggest rooms in the base, on account of needing the extra space for his gadgets, and now more than ever he’s grateful for this, as he has plenty of room for the three of them. Although he knows he could just make the kids sleep on the floor, it just wouldn’t be right to, so despite loving his big bed, Engineer plans on letting Mundy and Bonito use it while he takes the couch. After all, it’s not like this is his first time sacking out on it, though he usually only does that when he’s too tired to make it to his bed after a long day of tinkering. Once in his room, Engineer leaves the kids be while he goes into his private bathroom, getting dressed in just a pair of sleep pants, as he hates wearing a shirt to bed (something that’s more than a little encouraged by his wife June, who is an unabashed shirt thief). Dressed for bed, Engineer exits his bathroom to find Mundy and Bonnie standing awkwardly in the middle of the room, unsure of where they’re supposed to sleep, the former looking ready to lie down on the floor.

Luckily Engineer stops him before he can do that. “The bed’s all yours tonight, kids,” The handyman says, explaining himself when Mundy gives him a befuddled look in response to the offer. “I ain’t ‘bout ta let y’all sleep on the floor, for Christ’s sake! Don’t worry ‘bout me none, I’ll jus’ take the couch. Go on, get yerselves settled down.”

Mundy looks conflicted, but seeing as Bonito wastes no time in crawling under the huge bed’s covers, he’s forced to just agree to the older man’s terms, the Australian boy getting comfortable alongside his friend.

Engineer walks over once they’re settled, wearing a warm smile to try and dispel any discomfort. “Dere we go. Comfy, ain’t it? Y’all need anythin’ else ‘fore bed, ‘r am I safe ta shut the lights off?” He asks, just to make sure they don’t need anything important.

“Are ya sure ya don’t want us elsewhere, sir? I can take the floor ‘n Bon can take the couch if ya want, it wouldn’t be a problem at all.” Mundy assures, still unconvinced that the inventor is okay with this.

“I’m  _ certain, _ son,” Engineer says, ruffling Mundy’s hair. “Again, do y’all need anythin’? Any water ‘r milk?”

Bonnie shakes their head, before they pause, eyebrows furrowed with concern. Noticing this, Mundy leans his head closer to them, letting the older teen whisper into his ear. Once he’s got the message, the Australian relays it to Engineer. “Uh… Buckley’s chance ya gonna know what dey’re talkin’ about, but they says they want ya ta please repeat a song from earlier? What’re they goin’ on ‘bout?”

Engineer chuckles, knowing full well what Bonito means. “You want me ta sing to ya again, junior?” He asks the teen in question, smiling wider when they nod earnestly. “Alrighty den, I’ll go get my guitar. Sit tight.”

When Engineer returns with his guitar a few minutes later, Mundy is already dozing off, his head lulled against Bonnie’s shoulder, while the older child is unabashedly grinning, eager to hear the lullaby again. On his way over to the bed, Engineer hits the lights, bringing a stool with him to the bed. After sitting down, he begins strumming his guitar, noticing how Mundy perks up a bit at the sound, curious to hear the song that’s got Bonnie so excited.

“Somewhere over the rainbow, way up high. And the dreams that you dream of, once in a lullaby. Oh, somewhere over the rainbow, bluebirds fly. And the dreams that you dream of, dreams really do come true,” Engineer repeats the song from earlier, less tentative than he was the first time, now that he knows Bonito responds so well to his singing. “Someday I’ll wish upon a star, wake up where the clouds are far behind me. Where trouble melts like lemon drops, high above the chimney top, that's where you'll find me.”

He repeats the song at least twice, seeing as it isn’t a very long one, Mundy and Bonito listening intently the first time through, but they both begin to waver quickly, until about halfway through the second run-through, at which point they both fall asleep, unknowingly clinging to each other while unconscious. Smiling, Engineer tucks them in better, before grabbing a quilt out of one of his dressers and stumbling over to the couch, where he practically face-plants the minute he’s close enough to land on it, letting out a long, bone-weary sigh as his body relaxes itself.  _ Goddamn, _ is he  _ tired, _ especially since it’s nearly four in the morning. He’s gonna be  _ so  _ exhausted tomorrow… but hell, it’s not like he hasn’t done this many times before. Wearing a loose smile again, Engineer rolls onto his back, tucking the quilt around himself as he yawns, beginning to nod off, and despite the fact that he has to sleep on the couch tonight, he feels oddly _ content,  _ more so than he’s felt in well over a month. The feeling reminds him of every time he and June brought a new baby- or two, in the twins’ case- home from the hospital, that parental warmth only growing with each new addition added to their family. Being away from his wife and kids honestly  _ kills  _ Engineer inside, the handyman longing to see them again, but around Bonnie, that ache tends to dull, like taking an Advil when you’ve got a really bad headache. The pain doesn’t  _ completely  _ go away, but it’s less excruciating to deal with than it was before.  
  
_ “Hm… I wonder if June would be up to adoptin’ after I get home. Hell, I wonder if August would be up to havin’ a siblin’ his own age, seein’ as he seems a bit jealous ‘a the twins,” _ Engineer thinks to himself, pausing his train of thought when he realizes just how serious he is about the idea of adopting Bonnie.  _ “Oh god… I’m in deep, ain’t I? And here I thought June was da pushover.”  _ Soon enough, he’s out cold, a dream of him, his family, and Bonnie playing alongside his kids carrying him through the night.

**Author's Note:**

> This was such a joy to write, I’m a HUGE sucker for hurt/comfort! Btw, the song that Engie sang in this fic was “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” (specifically the version sung by Israel Kamakawiwoʻole because it’s so lovely)! This was edited right after I finished writing the second half of it, so I’m sorry if there are any spelling mistakes, but I’m too happy with this not to post it ASAP. Again, shout out to scrapnick for letting me use her OC June in this fic’ please oh please check out her blog for more amazing content of her and Engie being precious together! If you liked this one-shot, please consider leaving a comment, ‘cus comments make me oh so happy and motivated. Have a great night, y’all!


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